algae

Not only do I have a salt water tank at home, I work at a pet store and deal with salt water fish daily!! (Can't say where I work sorry guys) but at work my two salt water systems have like a carpet of green and brown algae on the sand. My tanks at home don't have this problem at all!! HELPP!!

 

it's an Algae turf scrubber!

Nitrates? Phosphates? Flow? Alk? ...

 

Nitrates are .20. I've used phosphate sponge many times. The power heads give a good current. I make sure I don't over feed. Alk is 180ish.

 

Then the true Nitrates may be higher, or so they say, and are being used up by the algae and taking it out of solution.

I'd go turbo on it, do everything you can to lower the Nitrates and Phos. Water changes a plenty, etc. Any macro algae, any sump?

 

Running any reactors, protein skimmer, like Todd posted any fuge with macro?
I would start a routine water change weekly. About 20-30% total water volume. Even larger if possible.

 

Sumps are clean no algae, I clean the skimmer every few
Days. The cone is just caked with crap

 

First off I think a little background info in the setup will help out. How many gallons display, sumps. Are the systems connected to the same sump? What type of equipment are you running. Lights. Last time the bulbs were changed. All this info will help. Anything you can think to tell about your system will help greatly.
Is the sump just a place for equipment or is there a section for a fuge to house macro to help reduce excess nutrients
How often do you do wc and how much. Maybe I missed it.

 

IMOPE, when crud builds up inside the cone/reaction chamber, it begins releasing more DOCs than what the skimmer can remove which ultimately fuels Nitrate production. As already mentioned, the nuisance algae is feeding on the nutrients, hence the low test levels. You need to disassemble the skimmer and get it cleaned up, then start working on the tank.

 

+1

+1 and the MACROALGAE (Chaeto seems to work well) and or an Algae turf scrubber in the sump!